I. Field
The invention relates in general to voicemail systems and more specifically to an apparatus, system, and method for providing voicemail service through a packet data messaging system.
II. Background
Voicemail systems provide a mechanism for an origination party to record a voice message that can be retrieved by a destination party. Typically, a voicemail box associated with a telephone number of the destination party is used to store the voicemail message. The destination party retrieves the message by accessing a voicemail server that maintains the voicemail box and by entering the appropriate identification and security information. In conventional voicemail systems, a real-time call such as a circuit switched call or a virtual circuit switched call is maintained with the voicemail server while voicemail message is deposited or retrieved. In circumstances where communication resources are limited, however, conventional systems have substantial drawbacks. In conventional wireless communication systems, for example, bandwidth and communication channels are valuable resources that are often used for retrieving and depositing voicemail messages. Since only one party is involved with the transfer of a voicemail message at any particular time, a low latency, real-time communication link is not required. Using a circuit switched call in a circuit switched network, or a virtual circuit switched call in a packet switched network, to deliver or retrieve voicemail messages results in an inefficient use of wireless resources. In systems utilizing packet switched networks such as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) networks, for example, establishing a real-time call for a voicemail submission or retrieval results in an inefficient use of resources since a voice quality call is established for the virtual circuit switched connection. Data packets exchanged during the voicemail call are unnecessarily treated as high priority, low latency data packets required for a real-time call.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus, system, and method for efficiently providing voicemail services in a wireless communication system.